NEWSLETTER
The final injury report of the week has been released and it includes the reigning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Eddy Piñeiro is listed as questionable to play against Washington on Monday Night Football after being listed as a limited participant in Saturday’s practice. It is the first time Piñeiro has been listed on the injury report all week, so this news comes as something of a surprise.
Here is what Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy has to say about the injury:
Eddy Pineiro had a "minor knee injury that occurred yesterday," Matt Nagy said. Today it felt like it was hurting him with it, but Nagy says he doesn't think it worries him for Monday.
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) September 21, 2019
Matt Nagy on who would kick if Pineiro can't:"That's a good question. We have to work through that. I really do think we'll be okay."
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) September 21, 2019
The last thing the Bears need is their leading scorer to be unavailable for a prime-time showdown. And while Nagy insists he thinks the team will be OK, I am uncertain if he feels that way because he knows his kicker will be ready to roll on Monday or because he knows something about his offense’s ability to score touchdowns and convert two-point conversions that we don’t. If Piñeiro can’t kick, the Bears’ offensive decision-making could get more aggressive than we have been used to over the first two weeks. Or Nagy could conceivably button up and play things more conservatively and lean on Pat O’Donnell’s punting and the defense’s ferocity to win the game by dominating the field position battle.
Piñeiro is joined by tight end Trey Burton (groin), safety Eddie Jackson (shoulder/knee), and right guard Kyle Long (hip) as being “questionable” to play on Monday. Long did not practice on Saturday, while Jackson was downgraded from a full participant on Friday to limited on Saturday. However, these should be viewed as veterans maintenance days as the Bears were practicing indoors for the last time this week.
Here is Saturday’s injury report in full:
#Bears Saturday injury report pic.twitter.com/OXoueVScX2
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) September 21, 2019
